Marí­a Fernanda Cardoso's sculptural work, which is both conceptual and performative, incorporates formal aspects of minimalism and arte povera into a language that has allowed her to reference her cultural origins and geographical wanderings. She employs high modernist strategies to create works that maintain a recognizable formal quality but that are also layered with meaning that stems from the artist's personal concerns.

Cementerio (Vertical Garden) denotes the theme of death, a pervasive issue in Cardoso's native country, where violence has historically embedded itself in everyday life. Her installation is informed by traditional customs of honoring the dead and the practice of visiting loved ones at mausoleums and placing flowers in the slots provided. The clusters of flowers and delicate arches suggest a gardenlike ambience, inviting the viewer to contemplate the imposition of order on nature.

The following 2002 interview by Colombian journalist Adrianna Herrera covers the artist's interest in nature and the themes of renewal and materiality within the contexts of art and her upbringing in Colombia.